disillusioned

It's possible I misunderstood about the rate. It may have been like you mentioned about taking concessions in order to get the flying. Like I said, this person was from SGU where pilots that want to have QOL type items are thought to be greedy and unions that don't allow them to have their way with pilots are the devil.

The main gist of the conversation was XJT doesn't want to play nice so we just won't worry about bidding for my flying on that side. I did my part to let them know what the shenanigans they played with pilots did for morale. Surprisingly enough, I don't think they understood.

No doubt in my mind that they are able to extract 16% more out of us with our work rules (or lack thereof). Vacation rules alone would be at least 5%. Again, we would be so much stronger with 7,000 united voices.

Nevets

If a union at a regional doesn't have any power when it comes to getting contracts, then how did awac, horizon, and xjt get theirs? Do you honestly believe that they would have gotten just as much if they were non-union? Don't think so and that's why your argument doesn't hold water.

Look, by definition, someone is always on the top. If you aren't doing your part to try to get to the top, then the top will come down to you and you will now be at the top. Look at SWA as a good example of that and that's despite them being union and having a labor friendly management.

Anyway, we are not only being whipsawed by mainline but also by our own management. Being whipsawed twice! There is leverage to be had now just as it was a decade ago. Almost every single regional group is getting deals that make them more expensive. We have to stop thinking that we have to take modest pay increases to stay competitive. That's management's job, not ours and they have been doing a really great job of that in the recent past.

Nevets

They specifically wanted a 4% pay rate cut, PBS implementation, elimination of the B fund, and 4% worth of pay cuts in work rule concessions. They said that PBS and our B fund were each worth 4% (their numbers). That's how they wanted us to get to 16%. But the 16% was before we took a 7% concession and the PBS we are currently working to implement (supposedly cost neutral to the pilots).

rickair7777

Regional unions are sometimes in a position to GET contract enhancements, because management doesn't want to deal with disruption in the short-term. KEEPING said enhancements in the regional ecosystem is a whole 'nother issue. Oh yeah, you forget to mention COMAIR. And didn't horizon get industry-leading rates for their jets?

Nevets

It's just an example of a pilot group who ended at the top because others came down.




And if there EVER was going to be a regional that can sustain it, it's Skywest. But you rather not even try. That's the mentality that doesn't help. If a pilot group is not willing to try to raise the bar, especially when they are in a position to do so, then the pilot group who is at the top will be brought down. I can't believe I have to even explain this.

disillusioned

Brutal week for attrition. Lost 21 pilots this week. Only 4 Captains but 17 FO's. 10 of those FO's were in training. Does it matter if we are filling our classes if we are losing so many before they hit the line?? And how much is this costing the company to waste the time spent on training when we are not getting any ROI on these pilots?

March was the first month in awhile where we lost more FO's than CA's (21 CA vs 24 FO), but so far this month we are losing 2 FO's for every CA (15 CA vs 29 FO) My estimates show about 250 hired, but it looks like we have lost a total of 170 pilots since the beginning of the year, so a net gain of around 80. Again, these are just what I have been able to gather but by no means are the 100% accurate since the company or SAPA doesn't provide these numbers consistently.

TheFly

Nice job to all the crew.

SkyWest Flight 5622: Hero Nurse Who Helped Passengers: It Was Terrifying : People.com
A nurse who assisted sick passengers on board a SkyWest flight that made an emergency landing Wednesday humbly declines to call herself a hero – instead deeming the pilot and crew the "real heroes" for taking quick actions that potentially saved lives.

Mary Cunningham, 25, an emergency room nurse from Niantic, Connecticut, tells PEOPLE they were about midway through their flight from Chicago to Windsor Locks, Connecticut, when she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker asking if any medical professionals were on board.

"I looked around for a second and didn't see anyone volunteering, so I raised my hand. I was the only one," says Cunningham, who was on a connecting flight on the way home from a vacation in Sanibel, Florida.

A flight attendant quickly ushered her over to a passenger seated near the middle of the plane who was "very lethargic, turning gray, looked very ill," she says.

Cunningham requested an oxygen tank, and once the passenger received the oxygen, "her color came back, she was more alert and just looked a lot better," she says.

Thinking the emergency was over, Cunningham began to return to her seat, but a moment before she sat down they ushered her back again.

This time, she saw another woman passed out unconscious. She was seated directly behind the first ill passenger. As Cunningham began to assess this second passenger, she says she herself began to feel ill – and knew something was gravely wrong.

"I made my way to the back of the plane to try and catch my breath," she says. "Slowly the flight attendant became ill, and other people as well."

The flight crew asked Cunningham if she thought they should get on the ground quickly. She did. "I told the flight attendant to speak to the pilot to make an emergency landing," she said.

Cunningham stressed that the crew acted extremely professionally and quickly alerted the pilot, who took immediate action.

"The pilot told us he was making an emergency landing and we'd be in Buffalo in about 20 minutes," she says. "He told us they would be making a very rapid descent."

Everyone quickly got to their seats and strapped in, she says, as the plane made a landing Cunningham deemed nothing short of petrifying.

"They started a very quick nosedive," she says. "It was absolutely terrifying ... the scary thing was none of the oxygen masks were coming down."

As for the mood on board the plane during the descent, Cunningham says, "Everybody was almost trying to comfort each other; a lot of people were praying. "It was pretty solemn, definitely a grave situation."

However, she says the atmosphere was calm – thanks to the efforts of the crew.

"The flight attendants did a great job keeping us informed. I can't speak enough of them," she says. "People have the impression there was panic or chaos, but it was pretty well controlled. I want to reiterate what a great job the flight attendants and pilots did."

Once on the ground, "people were clapping and cheering. It was complete relief from all around when the plane landed," says Cunningham, who adds that EMTs boarded the flight to tend to the ill passengers.

Cunningham's father, Dan Cunningham, tells PEOPLE he couldn't be more proud of his daughter – and the actions she took in the heat of the moment.

"I'm very proud of her," he says. "She's an ER nurse and in life-and-death situations all the time for work, but never in her life like this. She kept her head."
"It could have been the worst day of my life," he adds. "But it ended up being a great day."

The investigation into the cause of the medical issues on the flight is still ongoing.


SkyWest Flight 5622, operated by United Express

M20EPilot

That's interesting. Any idea how many of the FOs leaving were in training?

GravyRobber

Where are they all going? I know we lost a lot to F9, but I don't think they are even taking apps currently. Are they all military guys just checking a box so they can go to DL?

rickair7777

I'd rather try (and have). But the futility is hard to ignore...I've come to the conclusion that the only solution is to GTFO and leave the lifers to take their chances. The regional system has been carefully bred and evolved to function exactly the way it does. The only way to win is to not play...bonus points if you know (without google) where that quote came from .